Mother's Day Gift Guide-Part Four (Finale)

Well, this is it. This is the final installment of my mother's day gift guide. I learned a lot about how I use etsy from this experience. I realized that I typically browse the front page and treasuries, but don't just do a lot of random searching. For the guide I wanted to be sure to have a wide variety of sellers, not just those that have been featured. I spent a lot of time using Time Machine and doing a lot of keyword searches. I've seen a ton of great handmade stuff that I wouldn't see otherwise. Now I'm even more impressed with the quality and variety on etsy. Wow!

I've gotten a lot of positive feedback as a result of the gift guide, so I'm going to be sure to feature others in the future. If you have any suggestions for themes or handmade sellers, please let me know! If you're just joining us now, please check out the three previous installments of the gift guide.

Mother's Day Gift Guide-Part Four



The perfect gift for the mom who loves vintage AND books! This bookmark from Gemma Beads is created from antique typewriter keys set in lace edged settings. Tuck this into a classic novel and you'll be giving a gift I would love to get!



I love vintage inspired aprons. This one from Bambino Amore has the charm of June Cleaver with the edginess of the modern mother. This apron is 100% handmade (she didn't even use a pattern). There are other patterns available in this shop, as well as some super-cute half aprons.



This necklace is a bit pricier than the other items I've selected for the guide. However, it is so beautiful that I felt it worth it for a special treat for mom. It is handcrafted by Natasha Grasso from fine silver rather than sterling. It doesn't tarnish as sterling does and is much brighter.



I have a thing for felt...and for gray...and for notebooks or journals, so of course I would love this handmade notepad from concepcioun. It measures 3.5"x5" and is fade and wear resistant.



How cool is this? This wall pocket from Manta Wave is on sale! The pocket is waterproof, making it a perfect vase for all of the fresh flowers you're going to give your mother for her special day.

Mother's Day Gift Guide-Part Three (We're almost there.)

We're over the halfway mark now. One more installment to go and this Mother's Day Gift Guide will be finished. Check out these sellers if you are looking for some great gift ideas. Handmade is the way to go! Also, make sure you check out the shameless self-promotion I indulged in at the bottom of the post!

Mother's Day Gift Guide-Part Three



I know, I know. I'm evil. You're all drooling, I'm sure. This "Triple Chocolate Heaven" cupcake is VEGAN. That's right! VEGAN. And it and many other vegan delights are available at the cupcake mint. I have a feeling that they might remove any skepticism you might have about veganism.



There is tons of fun stuff in the Sweet Rice vintage shop, but this "Orange Ceramic Planter" really pops! It's clearly from the 1970s (you can help mom take a walk down memory lane) and has a cool splatter glaze. Just think, you can support etsy and recycle!



Mmmm...This guide is beginning to make me hungry. Clearly this can't be eaten, but it reminds me of fresh blueberries on top of a delicious pancake with maple syrup.... Anyway, this is actually a body scrub, but the folks (yes, I said "folks") over at Madeline Bea Soap Co. say it smells just like fresh blueberries and provides many of the same benefits. Besides that, the labels look all country store and vintagey, which is always fun.



My sister-in-law Michelle has a thing for large bags. I think it's one part aesthetics and another part necessity. I mean the girl carries apples around with her. Anyway, if she were a mother (and she will be someday soon), this would be the perfect Mother's Day gift for her. This XL Hobo Bag from retrofied is made from a neato Amy Butler pattern and is lined with corduroy. Now that I think about it, perhaps Ben should buy this for Michelle in anticipation of her becoming a mother some day!



Here we go with the trees again. I can't help myself. I'm a tree person. This is an original pen and ink drawing, but is an affordable gift because it is an ACEO (Art Cards, Editions and Originals) and is about the size of a trading card. I think this is an awesome way to collect a variety of limited edition or original artwork without breaking the bank. Besides, you get to support the art community, in this case tamara garvey illustration.

Shameless Self-Promotion:

Don't say I didn't warn you. Here are some recently listed items in the shop, one of which has already sold. Yay!

Mother's Day Gift Guide-Part Two (I'm baaack.)

Alrighty-O. Yes, I really said that. You aren't imagining it. I'm in a goofy mood. I'm back and I've got more suggestions for Mother's Day gifts. I've decided to do four installments of five items. This is in part because, as I discovered yesterday, these are difficult decisions and it takes time. I was also thinking that large gift guides can be overwhelming. This way you can slowly absorb the ideas and perhaps one will stand out to you. Before I get started with the guide, I have to slip in a "Brennan of the Day." Yesterday she was playing with the grass from her Easter basket. She grabbed a handful of it, held it up to me and said, "This is God's hair." I have no idea where that came from.

Mother's Day Gift Guide-Part Two



"Green Teapot II" is from a new etsy seller (joined this month) who also happens to be from my old stomping ground of Pensacola, FL. Back to Earth is full of absolutely beautiful work. And wouldn't it just thrill you to be his first buyer?

Don't you just love, love, love this clutch from Fiaz Co? It looks almost like it has been hand painted. The inside is lined in a robin's egg blue silk. Handmade. Need I say more?

For the mother who sews..."Alexander Henry Camden Fair Red, Yard Set." Fabric Worm is full of gorgeous, colorful and sometimes quirky fabrics that I would love to get my grimey little hands on. If you aren't crazy about this set, there are tons and tons to choose from.

This is quickly becoming a gift guide for me. I can't help it. A girl loves what she loves, and I totally love this needlefelt art. Deebs Fiber Art shop offers the "No.379 Lone Tree Too" both with and without a mat. Add a frame and you've got a truly unique gift.

The "Twisted and Textured Silver Dangle Earrings" are handmade from 99.9% pure silver by Beadz N 'Thingz. I think they look light and springy, but would work just as well with a sweater this fall. And just think, you can impress your mother with your knowledge of handcrafted fine silver.

Be sure to check out the comments for yesterday's post. "Meltem" is offering a freebie with a $50.00 purchase in her shop this weekend.

Mother's Day Gift Guide-Part One

I know that I haven't posted in a little while and I need to play catch up. I have some Easter pics to share, a recipe and some potty training success stories. However, today I foud myself in the mood to browse around etsy. Since I couldn't justify just doing it for the fun of it, I decided to make an etsy gift guide for Mother's Day. It's just around the corner and, if you plan to order from etsy, you'll need to factor in time for shipping (international orders may take up to two weeks to arrive). While I will be posting some Mother's Day cards, as well as blank ones that would be appropriate, I'm not going to be lame and include my own stuff in the gift guide. I think I will leave the shameless self-promotion off of the blog today. I guess I'm just feeling generous...or am such a good person...or just think that if I am promoting etsy I am promoting myself anyway.

Mother's Day Gift Guide

This "Geranium Sage Vegan Cold Process Soap" looks good enough to eat. It comes from Long Winter Farm's etsy shop, which also features soaps with awesome names like "Bloody Lumberjack" and "Hippie Stink." I started to feature one of these, but could just see the look on the face of some mother when gifted with something called "Hippie Stink" on Mother's Day. I haven't smelled or used these soaps, but they look delicious. They're also cruelty-free, and you can't beat that with a stick.


The "Become Rose Garden Shawl Brooch" is from the etsy shop Melt'm Design Studio and is handcrafted from sterling silver. It's a beautiful piece and this seller is offering free shipping worldwide through the end of April.


I'd love to have the "Bee Bee Beautiful Bee Brilliant Green Trinket Dish" for my very own (you know how I love those little Bs). They come from My Mother's Garden, which features many treats for gifting. A percentage of the sales in the shop will be donated to kiva.org.


Stick this ACEO from Snap Dragon Studios in a nice frame and you've got a lovely gift for one of the mothers in your life. I admit to having a tree obsession, but who wouldn't love this? Your mother gets a piece of original art and you get to visit it every now and then.


This "butter cream birdhouse" from greenware design is actually a hanging planter for an air plant. It comes with the plant and some moss (mmm...did somebody say moss?). This reminds me of trips to Florida as a kid. My brothers brought some air plants home. We couldn't believe they didn't need the dirt!

Okay, I just renamed this post "Mother's Day Gift Guide-Part One." This is taking waaay longer than I anticipated. There's just so much to choose from on etsy. So, I guess I'll complete the guide in installments. This is part one with more to follow.

Books Worth Reading

I know you all are just dying to know what I've been reading lately. I mean, I'd almost decided to start my own book club, but then I felt sorry for Oprah. I wouldn't want to ruin her thing. So, anyway, I finally read Virginia Woolf's "Orlando: A Biography." I don't know why I hadn't read it before. I love Virginia Woolf, but I guess I was distracted by all of that anthropology stuff or something. Anyway, we've been going to the library a lot lately, both to be environmentally friendly and also because we are attempting to be more fiscally responsible. It's given me a chance to check out some things that I hadn't thought about in years. I'd always meant to read "Orlando," so I finally made the time. It was as wonderful as I expected it to be. If you aren't aware of the plot, the story follows the life of Orlando, who begins his life as a man, decides he will not die, and, at the end of the book is a woman. The book is meant to be a fictionalized biography of a friend of Woolf's, Vita Sackville-West, but has typically been considered simply a novel. "Orlando" takes on time, class, history and gender, allowing Woolf to comment on her own time without facing too much criticism for broaching such controversial topics. I know, I know. It sounds like work. I promise it is a good read. If you haven't yet read it, please do. Let me know what you think.
Okay, so now for a children's book. If I haven't mentioned it before, we spend a LOT of time reading around here. We are fortunate to have a child that loves books as much as we do. Since Easter is upon us, I thought I would share a book about bunnies, a "Thunder Bunny" to be exact. LB loves it. I think that her Auntie Paige bought it for her a year or so ago. Rather than illustrations, the pictures in the book are all collages created by the author, Barbara Helen Berger. The book is beautiful. Thunder Bunny is born blue, as you can see from the picture, and doesn't quite fit in with the rest of her family. She discovers that she comes "from the blue" and leaps to the sky to prove it to herself and her family. LB likes to quote this line from the book, "I am a thun, thun, thunder bunny!" It's a quick read, making it a perfect bedtime story.

Brennan of the Day: Tim's sister got him a musical card for his birthday back in January. He came across it today and LB has been playing with it ALL DAY. The song is "Mr. Roberto" and the chorus is recorded in the card. Brennan believes she knows it and has been singing, "They don't want to get Mr. Arato." Again, I say, "How cute is my baby?"

Crafty Cute

I just wanted to drop in and quickly let you know that there's a cute Easter craft idea over at My Crafty Mess. If you don't have a crafty bone in your body, Elizabeth is giving away a few of these. All you have to do is comment on her blog and you're entered to win.

Spring's First Blooms

Finally! Spring is starting to show her face. We have daffodils and grape hyacinths in bloom and tulips and crocuses are beginning to sprout. I missed getting a shot of the flowering pear in bloom in the backyard. Most of the blooms are on the ground and have been replaced with leaves. By the way, I had no idea that I had a flowering pear tree in the yard! I didn't know what it was. My sister-in-law told me when she was here. Nice to know. She and my brother also informed me that the tree that I was told was a river birch is actually a paper birch. They don't know which variety. I wish they would get with the program. I mean, how am I supposed to function not knowing what kind of birch tree I have? This is unacceptable.

We had lovely weather here yesterday, so we spent a great deal of time outside working in the backyard. We have some sort of ornamental grass growing on part of the hill behind our house (Again, my brother didn't know what type. Sheesh!). I cut it all back with the lawn trimmer Wednesday evening. I got a lot of it raked out and piled up shortly afterward, but had to finish yesterday. It's a tremendous lot of rubbish. Fortunately, our city does pick up lawn debris separately from trash, so it all gets mulched and reused. In addition to that, I started a leaf compost. However, it doesn't even begin to meet my needs in terms of its capacity. Unfortunately, when living in the city, your neighbors tend to frown upon a backyard turned entirely to compost. I tried to tell them I was being eco-friendly, but they didn't buy it. Anyway, after cleaning up that mess, I turned to the perennial garden. I left the leaves last spring for some extra protection for the overwintering plants. They had to be raked out with a hand rake and, in some cases, removed by hand. I also cut back much of the Snow On the Mountain and English Ivy that grows rampant. The last thing I did was lay out a small garden bed for Brennan. While my brother and sister-in-law were here, we checked out a local garden center called The Plant Kingdom. It was really nice, but the prices were a bit steep. My brother explained to me that I am paying for quality so that I don't have to buy new plants continually when the others die. I found this to be a lovely explanation for why my plants always die. I'm not the one killing them. I can blame the big box stores for the inferior quality of their plants. Yes, that's it. I'm not to blame Mom (who enjoys saying that I love to garden, but am not very good at it!). So, back to The Plant Kingdom. While we were there, a sales associate gave LB a pansy. She's already quite interested in gardening, so I thought it would be nice to give her a little space of her own. I plan to let her pick out some annuals and plant them (mostly) by herself. She's super-psyched. I am too. I need to teach her to weed straight away. Then I can assign her some responsibilities in my garden. I have a feeling that she would be quite good at searching out and uprooting the wild onions that are sprouting up everywhere!

Tim worked hard on the deck yesterday too. He finished the railing (that he made himself!), cleaned up a bunch of debris in the yard and reassembled our deck furniture. Unfortunately, we then had a gorgeous spring time thunder storm, so we couldn't eat dinner on the deck.

So the yard is shaping up. I intended to take some shots of it, so that you all could see the miraculous progress later in the summer. I didn't get to it before the storm. I'll try to get out there in the next couple of days and take some photos. I'm sure the before and after will be mind-blowing and you'll all be begging to see them.

Okay, different subject, Lost this week.... I cried and felt nauseous when Kate gave up Aaron. Ever since I had LB that sort of thing kills me. And what's up with Kate looking for Claire? Exactly how does she plan to get off of the island again??? And Jack, letting a kid suffer? What's up with all of the personality transformations? Are Jack and Sawyer switching roles? I love this show!

Okay, etsy. I sold seven items yesterday! I'm going to work on some new stuff today and hope to get it listed in the next few days. I did list one anniversary/wedding card this week.

I decided I needed a new feature on the blog. I'll call it the "Brennan of the Day." Although, I think you know that I won't actually post every day. But it will be the "Brennan of the Day" for the days that I post! We checked out this great children's music cd, "Mary Had a Little Amp," from the library that has a cover of "Pure Imagination" from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Maroon 5. LB loves to dance "ballet" to it. Yesterday she was doing just that and danced over to me and said, "I'm going to change the world." How sweet is that? I love that baby.